Mechanical door check



June 3, 1958 o. A. MAY 4.

MECHANICAL DIOOR CHECK Filed Jan. 18, 1956 4 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 3, 1958 o. A. MAY

MECHANICAL DOOR CHECK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 18, 1956 llillllil Hm v 6 I L g OZ'ZwJiMa 9 MECHANHIAL 3309B CHECK Otto A. May, Aihuauerque, N. Application January 18, 1955, Serial No. 555,635

Claims. (Cl. ld-tiS) This invention relates to a novel door ch cit of extremely simple construction including no hydraulic or pneumatic features and which will effectively function for limiting swinging movement of a door or closure toward an open position and which will thereafter return the door or closure to a fully closed position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a door check including novel brake means functioning to resist swinging movement of the door or closure toward either an open or a closed position, the effectiveness of which varies depending upon the position of the door or closure, and which brake means is released as the door approaches a fully closed position to permit other actuating means of the door check to return the door or closure to a completely closed position.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a door check which may be readily adjusted to vary the resistance afforded thereby to swinging movement of a door or closure to an open position and to vary the spee at which a door or closure will be returned by the door check to a closed position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a completely mechanical door check of extremely simple construction which will be extremely efficient and durable for accomplishing its intended result.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure l is a top plan view of the door check shown in an applied position and including a portion of a door and a portion of a door frame, which door frame is shown in section;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the door check including a portion of door and door frame to which the door check is connected;

Figure 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional a portion of the door check, taken substantially plane as indicated by the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enl-rge cross sectional view i. stantially along a plane as indicaed by the line Figure 1;

Figures 5 and 6 are enlarged cross sectional veiws taken substantially along planes as indicated by the lines 5-5 and 6 6, respectively, of Figure 1;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 77 of Figure 5, and

Figure 8 is a plan view of one part of the door check.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the mechanical door check in its entirety and embodying the invention is designato generally it) and includes an elongated mounting plate 11 which is secured by suitable fastenings 12 to the top rail 13 of a door frame above and adjacent the upper edge of a door or closure 14 which is mounted in said frame.

A bracket 15 is secured by suitable fastenings 36 to one end portion of the exposed face of the plate Lil.

view of along a "Jnited States Patent An inner end portion of a rigid tube 17 is secured immovably to the bracket 15, as by welding, as seen at 18, and is thus supported in outwardly'spaced relation to the plate 11 and with the longitudinal axis of the tube 17 disposed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the plate ll. The tube 17 has a restricted inner end 19 which slidably engages a rod 29 which extends slidably through the tube 17, as best seen in Figure 3. The restricted end 19 provides a seat for one end of an expansion coiled spring 21 which is loosely disposed in the tube 17 around the rod 20. The rod 2% has a threaded end 22 located adjacent the other outer end of the tube 17 and which engages the threaded bore of a sleeve 23. The sleeve 23 slidably engages in the outer end of the tube 17 to cooperate with the sleeve portion 1% to maintain the rod in a position axially of the tube 17. The sleeve 23 also provides an adjustable stop for the other end of the spring 21,

As best seen in Figure 6, one end of a plate 2 4 is secured by fastenings 25 to the mounting plate 11. The plate 24 extends outwardly from the mounting plate 11 and has an opposite upwardly extending end which is hingedly connected, as seen at 25, to one end of an upper plate 27 which is disposed above and spaced from the lower plate 24. The plates 24 and 27 have opposed outwardly bowed portions 28 located adjacent the hinge 26 and in alignment with and adjacent the tube end 15, and through which the rod 21 extends. The inner concave sides of the portions 23 are preferably lined with a friction material 29, similar to a brake lining material. The other inner end of the upper plate 27 has an inner end portion 39 which is disposed above and spaced from a conti uous portion of the lower plate 24 and which terminates in outwardly spaced relatiton to the mounting plate 11. As will hereinafter become apparent, the plates 24 and 27 combine to form a brake, designated generally 31.

A brake applying lever 32 is pivotally mounted adjacent one end thereof on a fastening 33 which is arichored t0 and extends outwardly from the front face of the plate 11. A spacing washer 34, as seen in Figure l, is mounted on the fastening 33 between the plate ll and said lever 32 for spacing the lever from said plate. The lever 32 has an end located adjacent the pivot 33 constituting an internally threaded sleeve portion which is disposed above and spaced from the brake portion 3% and substantially perpendicular thereto. A screw 34; is threaded downwardly through the sleeve 35 and has its lower end protruding from the bottom of said sleeve portion and disposed to ear on the brake portion 39. A jamb nut 37 threadedly engages the screw 36 and bears against the upper end of the sleeve portion 35 to retain the screw 36 in selected adjusted position.

A plate member 33 is secured by fastenings 39 to the mounting plate 11, near the other end said mounting plate. The plate member 33 projects outwardly frt i the mounting plate 11 and is disposed crosswise of the longitudinal axis of said mount'ng plate. The plate 38 has an opening th through which the ot er end portion of the rod 29 slidably extends and in wl ch said rod is slidably guided. The plate 325 is also provided with an upwardly opening notch ll, as best seen in Figure 4, to loosely receive and guide a portion of the lever 32 W11 h is located remote from the pivot 33 and which lever tion is provided with a downwardly opening notch which straddles a portion of the plate 3-23, below the slot 41. The terminal part of said last mentioned lever end, beyond the notch 42, is provided with an upwardly opening notch 43 in which is attached one end of a pull spring 44. The spring 4 extends downwardly and outwardly from the notch 43 and is anchored at its opposite end to an eye fastening 45 which is secured to the mounting 7 plate 11, so that the spring44exerts a downward pull on the' lever end engaged thereby to cause the lever 32 to swing counterclockwise about its pivot 33 as seen in Figure 3 for urging the screw 36 upwardly and away from the brake portion 30. a

the lever 32 includes a portion 48 which is inclined down wardly from the recess 47 to the notch 42, and an elongated slightly concave bottom edge portion 49 which extendsbetween adjacent ends of the recesses 46 and 47,

A clamp, designated generally 50 and best illustrated in Figures 3, and 7, includes a lower clamp bar and an upper clampbar 52 which are disposed substan tially' perpendicular'to' and spaced outwardly from the mounting plate 11. The adjacent faces of the outer end portions of the bars 51 and 52 are. recessed as seen at 53 to loosely accommodate therebetween an end of an elongated arm 54 which is swingably connected to the clamp 59 by a screw fastening 55 which extends through and connects the outer end portions of the bars 51 and 52. Said bars have opposed concave recesses 56 formed in the intermediate portions thereof and adjacent said recessed portions 53 between which is clamped a restricted portion 57 of the rod 20. A screw fastening 58 extends through and connects the other inner'end portions of the bars51 and 52 and is adapted to be tightened to cooperate with the fastening 55 for clampingthe rod portion 57 between the arcuate faces 56. Theinner portions of the bars 51 and 52 have aligned slots 59 which open out .wardly of the forward edges of said bars, which face to ward the plate 38, for swingably accommodating therein a portion of a lever arm 60 which constitutes a partof a runner, designated generally 61. A pivot element 62, as

substantially parallel thereto, as seen in Figure 2. The door or closure 14 is hinged by hinges 79 to the door frame. The axis of the hinges 79, only one of which is shown, is located adjacent'the bracket 77 and is disposed parallel to the axis of the pivot 75 and at a right angle to the axis of the rod 29. The bracket 77 is secured to the side of the door or closure 14 constituting the outer or seen in Figure 5, is mounted in the upper bar 52 and exing said lever arm in the slot 59 and for swingably contends transversely through the slot 59 thereof and lo osely through. a part of the lever arm'60 for swingably mountnecting the'runner 61 to the clamp The lever'arm 60 has a bifurcated upper end 63, disposed above the clamp 50, in which is journalled a roller 64 having a grooved periphery which engages the contoured bottom edge of the brake actuating lever 32. One end of a pull spring 65 is connected by a projection 66 to the lower end of the lever arm 60 and the other end of said spring 65 is connected to a projection 67, as seen in Figure 7,

which projects from the back edge of the lower'clamp 7 bar 51. The spring 66 urges the runner 61 to swing counterclockwiseabout its pivot 62, as seen in Figure 3, to is position of said figure and wherein a part of the lever arm 60 bears against the inner end of the slot 59 of the lower bar 51. It will also be'apparent that the runner 61 may rock in the opposite direction or clockwise about 'its pivot 62 against the action of the spring 65.

A rail 68 is mounted on the outer side of the plate 11 by fastenings 69 which extend through said rail and. are secured to the plate 11. The rail 68 .is supported spaced from the plate 11 by spacing elements 70 interposed therebetween. The underside of the inner end portion of the bottom bar 51 of the clamp 50 is slidably supported on theupper edge of the rail 68, as best seen in Figure 5.

An arm extension 71 has oneend secured by a stud 72 and a screw fastening 73 detachably but rigidly to the other free end of the arm 54. The arm extension 71 has a downwardly offset outer end 74 which is disposed in a plane beneath and substantially parallel to the plane of the arm 54 and which is attached pivotally and detachably by a nut and bolt fastening 75 to a flange 76 of a door mounted bracket 77. The bracket 77 is secured by a fastening 78 to a side of the'door or closure 14 and the flange 76 thereof projects outwardly from said door side and is disposed, adjacent the upper edge ofsaid door and leading side thereof when the door is swung toward an open position, and the mounting plate 11 is secured to the complementary side of the top rail 13 of'the door frame, as clearly illustrated in Figures land 2.

Whenthe door or closure 14 is in a closed position, as seen in Figures 1 and 2, the parts will be disposed as seen in the drawings with the clampSO abutting the forward edge of the brake 31. The grooved periphery of the roller 6 will be disposed in engagement with the recessed edge portion 46, as seen inFigure 3, so that the end of the lever 32, located remote fromthe pivot 33 will be held down by the spring 44 against the bottom of the slot 40. When thus disposed, the screw 36 will be in its most elevated position so that no pressure will beexerted thereby on the brake portion '30 so that the rod 20 will be free to'slide unimpeded between the brake faces 29. Likewise, the adjustable spring stop and guide 23 will be in its outermost position with respect to the tube 17 so that the spring 21 will be only slightly tensionedi 7 When the door or closure 14 is swung to an open position, clockwise as seen in Figure 1 about the axis of the hinge 79, the fastening 75 will move clockwise in an are about theaxis of the hinge 79. The fastening 52 pivotally connecting the arm 54 to the clamp 50 permits said arm to swing outwardly as the pivot 75 swings away from the plane of the door framep As willbe readily apparent from a consideration of Figure 1, the pivot 75 moves fiom right to left as seen in Figure '1 in its arcuate travel as the door is'swung open, so that a'pull is exerted on the arm 54 and its extension 71 through which in turn a pull is exerted on the clamp 50 and the rod 20 which is secured to said clamp. As the rod 20 and clamp 50 move from right to left from their positions as best seen in Figure 3, the roller 64 will travel from rightto left along the recessed edge portion 46 and will thereafter move into engagement with the recessed edge portion 49. As

the roller approaches the recessed edge portion 49, 'the downwardly sloping part of the edge portion 46,'l ocated adjacent thereto, will offer resistance to movement' of the roller 64 from right to left as seen in Figure'3 and travel along the edge portion 49 and into engagement with the recessed edge portion 47. During this travel,- the roller 64 will elevate the left hand end of the lever 32 to some extent so that the lever will pivot clockwise V exerting some downward thrust on the screw 36 which in turn will apply the brake 31 by pressing downwardly on the brake portion 30 to resist movement of the rod 20 from right to left. In view of the sloping disposition of the edge portion 49, this braking action will be slightas the roller 64 approaches the recessed portion 47. Additionally, as this is'occurring the spring'21 is being loaded by movement of the stop 23 fromright to left, so that said spring will afford added resistance to right to left movement of the parts. Contact of the roller with the downwardly inclined edge portion 48 will force the lever 32 to rock clockwise sufficiently to apply the brake 31 to a suflicient extent, due to the leverage then being applied, to effectively prevent further movement of the parts from right to left, to thus limit the extent that the door can be swung to an open position. It will be apparent that the left hand end of the lever 32 will swing upwardly against the action of the pull spring 44.

Thereafter when the door 14 is released, in'an open.

position thereof, the loaded spring 21 will force, the rod to move from left to right of Figures 1 to 3. During the initial portion of this movement the roller will be in engagement with the edge portion 47 and as saidroller approaches 'the edge portion 49 the shape of the right hand part of the edge portion 47 will offer resistance to travel of the roller 64 therealong, which resistance, in combination with the tension of the spring 65, will swing the runner 61 back to its position of Figure 3, relative to the clamp 51), and so that the roller '64 will thus be displaced further away from the axis of the rod 20. As a result, the left hand end of the lever 32 will be elevated to a greater extent by the roller 64 as the rod 20 is moving from left to right during closing of the door 14, than as the rod is moving from right to left during opening of said door. the screw 36 to the brake part so that a greater braking action will be exerted by the door check during closing of the door than during opening thereof. As the roller 64 reaches the recessed portion 46, at which time the door is approaching a fully closed position, as the roller travels up said recessed portion 46 the upper pressure exerted thereby on the lever 32 will be diminished rapidly permitting the spring 44 to swing the lever 32 counterclockwise on its pivot 33 to elevate the screw 36 and thus release pressure on the brake 31. occur just before the door 14 completes its closing movement and so that the spring 21 which is then nearly under minimum tension can still exert sufl'icient force to move the door to a fully closed position rather than allowing the door to remain ajar. Thus, movement of the door will be accelerated slightly as it approaches a fully closed position so that latching of the door can be accomplished in a conventional manner.

It will be obvious that the effectiveness of the brake 31 can be varied by adjustment of the screw 36. Also, the power provided by the spring 21 to resist opening of the door and to return the door to a closed position can be varied by adjusting the stop 23 on the rod portion 22 to vary the tension of the spring 21.

It will also be readily apparent that the parts as shown in Figure 3 may be inverted so that the tube 17 will then extend outwardly from the left hand end of the plate 11 rather than from the right hand end thereof as seen in Figure 3. The extension arm 71 may then be applied to the other then upprmost side of the arm 54 so that its end 74 will still be oifset downwardly for attachment to the bracket flange 76. With the parts thus disposed, the door check may be used in the same manner as previously described for a door which is hinged at the right hand edge thereof rather than the left hand edge, as seen in Figure 2.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A door check comprising a mounting plate adapted to be secured to a door frame, a rod, guide means supported by said plate in which said rod is slidably supported, said guide means including an inner end from which the rod projects, a clamp secured to said rod beyond the inner end of said guide means, an arm having one end swingably connected to said clamp, a bracket adapted to be secured to a hinged closure and to which the opposite end of said arm is pivotally connected at a point disposed parallel to and radially spaced from the axis of swinging movement of said closure, and a spring carried by said guide means for urging the rod to move relative to the guide means in a direction for displacing the clamp toward the guide means for exerting a pull on said arm and bracket for swinging the closure toward a closed position, a friction brake supported by said mounting plate and having a portion in direct contact with the rod and through which said rod slidably extends and including a movable upper part constituting a part of Thus, a greater pressure will be applied by This will i 5 the brake portion through which the rod slidably extends, and means actuated by movement of the rod for applying said brake for resisting sliding movement of the rod.

2. A door check as in claim 1, said brake applying means including an elongated lever pivotally supported adjacent one end thereof on said mounting plate above and adjacent said brake and having an end portion located adjacent the pivot thereof and above the upper brake part for engaging and applying a downward pressure to said brake part, a runner supported by said clamp and having a portion engaging the bottom edge of said lever between the pivot thereof and the opposite end of said lever, said bottom edge portion of the lever being contoured to effect rocking movement of the lever about its pivot as the runner travels along said contoured edge portion to apply the brake to said rod with different pressures to effect a controlled opening and closing of the door.

3. A door check as in claim 2, said runner including a lever arm swingably mounted on said clamp and having an upper lever engaging portion, means including a spring permitting the upper lever engaging portion of the runner to swing toward the rod axis as said runner moves with the rod away from said guide means to minimize the braking application during opening of the door and for urging said runner portion toward the lever as the rod is propelled in the opposite direction by said first mentioned spring for increasing the braking action on the rod during closing movement of the door.

4. A door check as in claim 3, said runner including a roller constituting the lever engaging part thereof.

5. A door check as in claim 4, said first mentioned lever end including a manually adjustable part contacting said movable brake part and adjustable for varying the braking pressure applied to the rod.

6. A door check as in claim 5, adjustable stop means carried by said rod and engaging said first mentioned spring for varying the tension thereof.

7. A door check as in claim 6, and a spring anchored to said plate and acting on the last mentioned end of said elongated lever for urging the lever to rock in a direction out of engagement with said brake.

8. A door check comprising a mounting plate adapted to be secured to a door frame, a rod, guide means supported by said plate in which said rod is slidably supported, said guide means including an inner end from which the rod projects, a clamp secured to said rod beyond the inner end of said guide means, an arm having one end swingably connected to said clamp, a bracket adapted to be secured to a hinged closure and to which the opposite end of said arm is pivotally connected at a point disposed parallel to and radially spaced from the axis of swinging movement of said closure, and a spring carried by said guide means for urging the rod to move relative to the guide means in a direction for displacing the clamp toward the guide means for exerting a pull on said arm and bracket for swinging the closure toward a closed position, and a rail supported by said plate and slidably engaged by a part of said clamp for maintaining the clamp substantially perpendicular to the plane of the plate and the axis of swinging movement of said arm relative to the clamp in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of said plate.

9. A door check comprising a mounting plate adapted to be secured to a door frame, a rod, guide means supported by said plate in which said rod is slidably supported, said guide means including an inner end from which the rod projects, a clamp secured to said rod be yond the inner end of said guide means, an arm having one end swingably connected to said clamp, a bracket adapted to be secured to a hinged closure and to which the opposite end of said arm is pivotally connected at a point disposed parallel to and radially spaced from the axis of swinging movement of said closure, and a spring carried by said guide means for urging the rod to move relative'to the guide means inja;direction for displacing the clamp toward the guide means for exerting a pull 'onfsaid arm and bracket f or swinging the closure toward a closed position, a friction brake supported by said mounting plate and having a portion through which said t -rod' 'slidably extends and including a rnoyable upper part constituting a part of thebrakeportioni through which the rod slidably extends, and means actuated by ,movement of the rod for applying said brake for resisting sliding movement of the rod, said brake applying means'including an elongated lever pivotally supported adjacent 'one end thereof on said mounting plate above and adjacent said brake and having an end portion located adjacent the pivot thereof and above the upper brake part for engaging and applying a downwardtpressure to said brake part, a runner supported by said clamp V and having a portion engagingthe bottom edge of-said lever between the pivot thereof and the opposite end of said lever, said bottom edge portion of the lever being contoured to effect rocking movement of'the lever about its pivot as the runner travels along said contoured edge portion to apply the brake to said rod with difierent pressures to effect a controlled opening and closing of the door, means supported by and projecting outwardly from said plate remote fiom said rod guiding means and forming a stop and guide for thelast mentioned end of said lever and having a part constituting a rod guide through which a portion of said rod slidably extends, said last mentioned means limiting swinging movement 'of isaid lever in a direction for releasing the brake. t t 10. A door'check comprising a mounting plate adapted to be secured to a door; .frame, .a rod, guidetmeanssupported by said plate in which said rod is slidably supported, said guide means includinglan inner endlfrom which thesrod projects, a clamp secured to said rod beyond the inner end of said guide means, an arm having one end swingably connected to said clamp, a bracket adaptedto be secured to a hinged closure and to which I the opposite end of said arm is pivotally'connectedrat 'a point disposed parallel to and radially spaced from: the

said arm and bracket for swinging the closure toward a closed position, the end of said arm which is'pivotally connected to said bracket being detachable therefrom and ofiset from the remainder of said arm.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,425,271 Mulkden Aug. 8, 1922 FOREIGN, PATENTS 22,818" Great Britain Oct. ,16, 1911' 

